A video shared on Facebook claims Tesla CEO Elon Musk declared his support for Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Verdict: False

The video is digitally altered. The clip of Musk talking is taken from a 2016 interview between Musk and the technology startup, Y Combinator.

Fact Check:

Obi, a Labour Party candidate, is campaigning to be Nigeria’s next president ahead of its February 2023 election, according to BBC. The former governor of Anambra state has found popularity among voters under 30 years old despite his party being generally unknown, the outlet reported.

Now, a Facebook video claims Musk has declared his support for Obi in a recent clip. “ELON MUSK ON PETER OBI’s PRESIDENCY,” the video’s caption reads.

“I am so delighted with the work of the Peter Obi campaign,” Musk purportedly says in the video. “The Nigerian youth have risen through the debris to take back their country. He is someone I have great respect for and I’ll be working with him in the future, by next year.”

The video is digitally altered. A keyword search using the website URL stamped on the video, ElonTalks.com, reveals that it states users can “create videos of Elon Musk saying whatever you want using AI.” (RELATED: Did Tesla Announce A New Electronic Currency?)

This website also links to the actual YouTube video of Musk being interviewed by tech-startup Y Combinator in 2016 discussing genetics, artificial intelligence, and the colonization of Mars. There is no reference to Obi or the Nigerian election at any point in the video.

In addition, an advanced Twitter search generates no evidence of the supposed quote from Musk on his verified account. Likewise, there are no credible news reports to suggest Musk ever publicly voiced support for Obi’s campaign.

Check Your Fact has reached out to both Tesla and Musk for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.